Latest News
OKTO unlocks digital payments directly on REGAL gaming machines across UK Pubs
OKTO.WALLET meets pubgoers demands for secure, cashless, mobile payments across the UK
Regal, a subsidiary of the Merkur Group UK and a leading UK supplier of amusement equipment to the leisure sector, will accept cashless payments directly onto its gaming machines via OKTO.WALLET.
Users of the OKTO.WALLET mobile app are able to deposit and withdraw funds safely, securely and seamlessly directly onto any collaborating gaming machines in the UK leisure sector. The OKTO.WALLET is a fully licensed payment service, reducing payment friction, enhancing customer experience, and focusing on responsible gambling and player protection.
The joint offering is ready to give Britain’s Pubs sector a much needed post-lockdown boost, by introducing a fully cashless experience tailored to the gaming industry and its players’ demands, increasing customer engagement and footfall. Pubgoers can embark on this digital journey by downloading for free the OKTO app from the App Store and Google Play and creating an account in just a few minutes. The OKTO app enables users to move their funds instantly across the entire payment ecosystem; from the gaming machine, the pub’s ordering app, the bartop cashier, all the way out to any retail or online business accepting OKTO Prepaid Mastercard®, linked to the OKTO wallet account.
OKTO’s mobile-first solution has easily integrated into Regal’s gaming machines without the need for any additional hardware or upfront costs, securing a level playing field in the retail gaming sector with the rest of the UK high street economy.
OKTO, in line with all major levels of responsible gaming and the latest callings of the UKGC, puts control directly in the hands of the user with powerful age verification, gaming limits and time-out periods tools, as well as with problem gambling helplines available within the app.
OKTO.WALLET is available at selected pubs with further locations being added in the coming weeks and months. Given strong customer demand and amidst the COVID-19 situation, OKTO continues to expand its UK wallet through its partnership with Regal. Pubgoers using Regal’s gaming machines are able to take advantage of a secure, universal and cashless payment method as it rolls out across the Regal network.
Simon Dorsen, Director of Gaming at OKTO, said: “Britain is moving beyond ‘peak cash’ this year, as the country has well and truly embraced a cashless society due to its convenience and ease. The Pub and Gaming sectors are able to address the users’ need with a flexible and cashless solution, thanks to our collaboration with Regal.
We designed a turn-key solution for the market that enables consumers to use a complete, digital, cashless solution, not only directly on gaming machines but also across the entire payment ecosystem. Providing them with a single payment app, users have the freedom to use their OKTO.WALLET anywhere, whether it’s pubs, AGC, Casinos or high street shops.”
Matt Bicknell, Managing Director Operations and Product at Regal, added: “Through our collaboration with OKTO, we found both a digital, instant and cashless solution to meet our customers demand and the flexible, market-proven technology that enabled us to easily adopt it in our gaming machines. The launch is the result of extensive research and co-development between our companies, and we are working actively on rolling it out to our client base in the UK.”
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Interviews
Consolidating brands efficiently to achieve high growth
Tom Walton, Director at technology consultancy, Burendo, shares how operators can achieve sustainable profitability with learnings from other sectors
Operators who are merging and acquiring other businesses, launching new products or even integrating third-party technologies, can find themselves navigating complex internal processes. It is a complex large-scale challenge. Where M&As are commonplace, brand consolidation can be critical when securing sustainable profitability while planning for higher returns in the future. Within the emerging LatAm and US markets, acquisition remains a key focus. A common issue, regardless of geography, is the challenges presented by outdated or fragmented platforms and systems, a major obstacle in the growth trajectory.
In many cases, fundamental changes in how the organisation functions: its people, processes and technology holds the key to better value, higher profits, operational efficiency and reduced risk. By addressing these complexities with proven experience, technology consultants can support operators to be successful in their strategic initiatives.
Agility in competitive markets
To remain competitive in an ever-changing market, operators must move fast and with agility to refine their offering. A constant eye on retention, acquisition and regulatory changes is paramount to avoid financial impact. Despite this risk, research conducted by Accenture in 2022 found that 95% of B2B and B2C C-level executives believe their customers are changing faster than they can change their business, indicating most operators risk falling behind. This poses the question of how this can be supported.
The value of technology consultancies is in enabling businesses to extract greater value from existing resources through a confident understanding of what good looks like. Bringing external ideas gathered through experience, exemplary resources from process to people, can demonstrate what good looks like. More importantly, it shortens the timeline to achieving real goals in the organisation. Being under resourced or lacking the skills needed across these challenges makes it difficult to gain an overarching perspective particularly within a siloed approach.
At Burendo, we leverage more than 40 years of cross-sector experience. We are not only working with some of the biggest operators in betting and gaming, but partner with other highly regulated industries including finance and healthcare. We have helped operators across many initiatives helping them to realise cost savings or increased revenue in a matter of weeks. We pride ourselves in ensuring we leave a lasting positive impact on the culture, enabling our partners to be empowered to carry on our work.
The retention battle
Many operators are too busy with day-to-day tasks or overwhelmed with where to start when it comes to transformation and building a cutting-edge user experience. An example of the gap between capacity and demand is the rising popularity of in-play betting. During live sports, the speed in which players can find and place their bet is critical. Here, streamlined processes that allow for quick innovation will correlate with customer satisfaction, resulting in higher retention rates.
A fresh perspective for lasting change
A successful approach to optimisation requires taking the challenge and viewing it from an experienced and innovative angle. Our partners truly benefit from best practice and valuable lessons derived from other sectors. Through experience we have found that these challenges are not exclusive to betting & gaming and so the ability to apply these learnings drive success.
Managing complex systems and large volumes of data is a common obstacle. By applying these cross-sector principles through working with technology consultants, operators can gain valuable insight into re-engineering platforms and the skills needed, to meet both current and future demands.
Building exceptional, scalable and adaptable architectures ensures that businesses can continue to grow and evolve as the industry changes. This forward-thinking approach positions operators ahead of the curve, meaning they are poised for success in the years to come and have the agility to address any challenges or opportunities that arise.
Creating lasting change requires more than just solving immediate problems. Our goal for our clients is to maintain high levels of efficiency long after an initial transformation is complete. By empowering teams to implement and sustain improvements, operators can maintain continuous growth and unlock growth worth tens of millions of pounds, far outweighing their cost of delivery.
The focus must now shift to building stronger, more Agile organisations that can adapt to changing market conditions. Sustainable efficiency enables operators to optimise time-to-market, improve platform performance, and manage resources more effectively, creating a foundation for long-term growth.
About Burendo
Founded in 2018 and with offices in Leeds and London, Burendo is an award-winning, consultancy delivering stand-out products and services through technology. We partner with organisations to accelerate organisational value delivery and transform customer experiences.
We are pragmatic thinkers and doers who understand the operational world of organisations and customer demands. We work as a partner to give our clients the latest ideas, tools and techniques to deliver effective results that build long-term value.
For more information, you can visit the Burendo website: www.burendo.com
If you have any questions, please contact Kate Smith, Senior Digital Marketing Executive by email: [email protected]
The post Consolidating brands efficiently to achieve high growth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Brazil
EGT Digital is a licensed software provider for Brazil
EGT Digital is proud to announce that it has obtained a licence that allows it to provide its software products in Brazil. The Bulgarian provider was certified by the regulator Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) and can now offer local operators its rich portfolio of gaming solutions, containing over 120 in-house developed casino titles and the 4 top-performing jackpots Bell Link, High Cash, Clover Chance, and Single Progressive Jackpot.
Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, shared her excitement regarding the authorization: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to present our gaming content to the Brazilian market. Our slots are available to domestic players, ready to captivate them with their numerous fascinating features and provide an unforgettable experience, fully tailored to their tastes and preferences.”
The post EGT Digital is a licensed software provider for Brazil appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
ADG
Arizona Department of Gaming Releases October Sports Betting Figures
Bettors in Arizona wagered approximately $791 million on sports in October of 2024, according to a new report by the Arizona Department of Gaming. This represents an approximate 22% increase when compared to October of 2023.
The state collected approximately $2.35 million in privilege fees in the month.
The post Arizona Department of Gaming Releases October Sports Betting Figures appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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